Juan Rayos (website) has created another masterpiece in the Juan Rayos Chinese Moleskine Yes being in the journal business we do not like the word Moleskine but can appreciate phenomenal talent when we see it….

For us there is a constant inflow of information from personal diaries, to seminars, meetings, growth, and just running the day to day operations of the business. Keeping track of all this information and maintaining sanity is a must. We have been using several note systems lately in trying to improve our own habits and wanted to share a few highlights with you.

The Cornell Note Taking Methodology works well with all our journals which we have been using at most meetings and conferences. But here the focus is on being present where your attention needs to be on the material not the methodology by which you are taking notes. When I was in college I remember nothing worse than seeing other students scribbling furiously in their Trapper-Keeper what the instructor was saying verbatim while missing the core concepts of the lesson. Being present and taking notes in the abstract works best for us.

Digitally we have been using the iPad as it is a research tool. Evernote has served us well and allows us to synchronize notes from mobile devices to laptops and desktops without any intervention. And of course you can utilize the iPad for all your digital musings as well. Here is an article discussing writing applications for the iPad via AppStorm. Though the iPad is an excellent tool we find that pen and paper really empower our creativity and that’s not just because we are in the business.

More than anything what we have developed is a blended note taking system that works for us, using a combination of Epica Journals and digital tools. Our most creative and personal items are housed in an Amalfi Journal, written with a Pilot Retractable Fountain Pen.